The Ending
by Sono Kurushiitokinokamidanomi
Summary: You know, the only thing that matters is the ending. It’s the most important part of the story; the ending. And this one is very good. This one’s perfect.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_March 3__rd__, 1995_

She just couldn't take it; watching him waste away like that. So she left, tried to look back too.

Didn't have the heart.

--

_March 17__th__, 1995_

She had almost gotten herself killed and succeeded in getting her friend killed before she even had time to get out of Japan. The poor girl was the new tenant beside her and had offered to help her move since Ryoko didn't have anyone else. She had met with Kanone of all people, well not met, more like ambushed. He caught her at a coffee shop after her friend's death.

"You warned me he was smart," She spat at him, "You didn't warn me you were stupid."

"Fuck you!" He hissed at her under his breath. The younger Blade Child got up from the table and took another swig of her coffee. She looked down at him and said, "Yeah, you already did that." With that she disappeared.

Maybe forever this time.

--

_January, 1997_

It had been almost 2 years…

Now she was living in London of all places in a little apartment that emptied out right onto the street. She frequently had people bump into her as she was locking her door; scared the living daylights out of her every time. The place wasn't bad overall; it had a small kitchen and an even smaller living room. But, she didn't have much. What she did have was a billfold and a .22 she kept taped behind the kitchen sink; the money always in American Dollars. Everyone took American Dollars.

And she took precautions, all of them actually, but after that she couldn't shake the feeling. Late at night she tossed and turned in her bed trying to stave off the nightmares of the life she lived before. It was over; she had nothing to do with the Blade Children anymore, she would say to herself.

She never really believed that, why do you think she had gone back the first time?

--

_March 25__th__, 1995_

He always knew she'd leave again; he also knew it would be because of him. But that didn't stop him looking for her. He checked everywhere; name changes, change of address, a bill in her name, an airplane ticket, anything. Nothing ever came of it.

"Should've expected it." The green-eyed Blade Child looked up into the rainy Osaka sky. "You always knew you could outrun me if you wanted to, Ryoko."

--

_October 23__rd__, 1997_

Well, today was the day wasn't it? His birthday. She knew that this year no one would be throwing a party. Ryoko tried to put the image out of her mind.

"Oh Christ, its 4AM…" She breathed hoisting herself up on her elbows, the comforter fell away from her shoulders. The Blade Child looked up into the darkness and wiped a hand over her forehead which was covered in sweat. She had that dream again, the one where he killed her.

--

_October 23__rd__, 1997_

Ryoko trotted down the alley behind 14th street carrying a loaf of Italian bread and a few slices of ham from the market deli in a brown bag. To her the alleys offered more protection from the outside; less wind, less people, less noise, and today less rain. It was October in London; the rainy month. She stopped at her back door labeled in black brimstone numbers "201", shoved the key in the lock, and pushed open the door.

"Samantha, I'm back dear." She called into the empty space placing her parcel on the counter. Said cat was nowhere in sight; strange for such a social animal. Ryoko slid off her scarf, gloves, and hat to put them in a pile beside her food. She took a knife from the drawer just behind her and cut a piece off the end of the roll. She left the morsel and knife to the cat and walked the few feet to her bedroom door, intending to deposit her shoes and jacket inside.

"Hm, I thought I left that open." The girl wondered aloud. As she pushed open the door, the cat darted out of the room and jumped on the counter to inspect Ryoko's purchase. Ryoko gasped and jumped back as to avoid being run over by the small animal. The former Blade Child rubbed at her forehead nervously and stepped over to her bed, just as she sat down she noticed Sam's food bowl half filled next to the bathroom door. She looked at it quizzically and got up to step over to it.

"Now, I know I didn't leave that there." Ryoko whispered to herself. She bent down to pick it up and heard the cat hiss in the next room as her bag of groceries fell off the counter.

--


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_October 23__rd__, 1996_

Today was his birthday. Kousuke turned nineteen on this rainy day in October. Rio threw a party for him and forced everyone to come including Ayumu whom Hiyono had to literally drag to Rutherford's penthouse for the occasion.

"Come to the coast, we'll get together, have a few laughs…" Ayumu repeated Hiyono's words in a nasally voice meant to resemble the small girl's tone and made a face. He stepped into the room with said girl hanging on his arm just as Rio began lighting the candles.

"Come on Kousuke! Blow out the candles!" Rio said as she blew out the match she used to light them. She intentionally left out telling him to make a wish. The redhead rolled his eyes and leaned in to oblige the smaller Blade Child. He closed his eyes and blew on the cake, but as the candle's fire went out in a puff of smoke Ryoko's face flashed behind his eyelids.

--

_October 23__rd__, 1997_

Ryoko's head shot up at the sound. Her pupils narrowed into slits exposing the bright red center of her crimson irises. She swallowed hard and stepped through the door to check on Samantha. The cat's fur stood up on end, her back was arched, and her tail whipped about behind her.

"Sam? You ok in there?" Ryoko walked over to the obviously unhappy animal, "What scared you sweetie?" She asked the cat sweetly. Just then, the small girl noticed a glimmer in the corner of her eye, it gave off the kind of light a gemstone would refract back into the air. Her eyes darted toward the corner of the room she thought the light occupied and was startled to see just a shadow. The Blade Child ran her finger over the blade of the knife she had left sitting on the counter and took a step to the side.

"That what scared you old girl?" She said to the cat that was now sitting patiently on the counter looking up at her. The cat meowed in response and jumped off the counter to run into the bedroom. Ryoko's eyes followed her and her hand dropped from the knife.

"Always thought I was worth being scared of, though." A voice answered her from the back of her living room. Ryoko gasped and snatched the knife up holding it in front of her defensively. "Now, no need to be rash." The voice came again, the accent unmistakably American. Ryoko's eyes darted from one side to the other and finally caught hold of the object that had caught her attention in the first place. The man held a gun up in front of him as he stepped slowly around her coffee table. He smirked as he moved into the light. Ryoko's mouth went dry, her hands started to shake around the handle of the knife; she took a step back and stared into his cat-like eyes.

"There isn't anything of value here," Ryoko whispered through gritted teeth knowing full well that wasn't what he was after. "There are no prescription drugs of any kind in this house."

"Now now little girl, you know that's not what I'm after." The hunter smirked as the words dripped from his lips. He floated over to her and caressed her cheek with the barrel of his gun as he whispered, "What's the real reason I come for?"

"Fix the story... Fix the ending..." Ryoko whispered backing away toward the back door. "Gotta fix the ending..." Her back hit the wall behind her; she gasped and looked back momentarily. Twisting her head back around she looked up at the hunter who now had her cornered. He placed his hand gingerly against the wall beside her head and tilted his own to the side to take a look at her.

"That's right." He whispered in her ear. "And how do you suppose we ought to do that?" Ryoko gripped the knife steadily in her hand. As her hunter was saying that very thing she plunged the knife into his arm and threw herself toward the ground behind him. He whirled and struck her temple with the gun he still held tightly in his hand. She fell to the floor and quickly recomposed himself. Yanking the knife out of his arm and whirling around to face her; he pointed the gun in her face. Ryoko scrambled on her elbows for cover.

"I'm about done fussing with you." The man crooned towering over her. Ryoko silently reached behind her and griped the base of a floor lamp sitting conveniently within her reach; with all her strength she swung the object around hitting the hunter's thigh. His legs gave was and he toppled to the floor with a crash; the gun flew out of his hand and skittered across the floor. "God damn it!" He yelled in pain and reached down to inspect the wound. Before he could get his bearings again his prize was gone.

"Yes, me…" Ryoko hissed as she stood over him with his gun in her trembling hands. The man lunged for the door and pulled it open and himself onto his feet.

"Forget my face." He ordered in a harsh whisper. He spun; his jacket splaying out behind him, and disappeared into the darkness.

Ryoko stood in the door frame almost five minutes with the gun still pointed in the man's direction. Her whole body trembled with fear. Samantha trotted up and wound herself around Ryoko's legs.

"O-ok Sam… I got it, I got it…" Ryoko closed the door and turned around; she slid her back down it and laid the gun beside her. Sam curled up on her other side and nudged her hand. The Blade Child exhaled sharply and bowed her head into her hands. She ran her fingers into her knotted hair and clenched it into tufts in her fists. "No, no, no… Not today…" Ryoko swallowed hard and squeezed her eyes shut.

--

_June 9__th__, 1991_

Ryoko bolted down the side of the building and flew past a poorly placed dumpster. She turned a corner to a narrow alley not more than 3 feet wide separating the two buildings. The newly discovered Blade Child leaned against a wall to catch her breath feeling a little claustrophobic. She tugged at her school uniform, the skirt was too short on her but it was all they had for a student transferring in the middle of the year. Sighing, she leaned her head back against the cold brick.

"Yo." Said a voice from around the corner. Ryoko jumped and pushed herself closer to the wall.

"H-how did you know I was here?" She asked the figure who's footsteps she now heard coming from around a corner on the other end of the building.

"I'm psychic." The boy replied emerging from the darkness with a knife in his hand. He smiled at her. "What was the rush? I tried to grab you after school but you just ran right off like a bat outta hell." Ryoko spotted the light his knife refracted onto the wall. She stepped back defensively and slid her hand into the back of her shirt gripping the gun perched under her skirt.

"Who are you?" She spat out. The other child smirked and walked toward her. Ryoko backed away and pulled the gun out from behind her; she held it up aimed right at him. She then repeated the words trying and failing to keep her voice steady, "Wh-who are you?" The boy looked at her guardedly from over his yellow tinted glasses and raised the knife.

"N-now now…" He began to wonder who the hell she was, never mind her question about him. Rutherford had said nothing about her carrying a gun. "I'm a friend." He laid a finger on his missing rib and glanced back at her his bright red spikes swishing in the gust of wind that blew down the alley. Ryoko looked at him quizzically and started to lower her weapon. The other Blade Child stepped over to her and stopped only 2 feet from where she stood.

Ryoko's gaze bore into his emerald eyes; his cat like pupils mirrored hers. She bit her lip, "Wh… Who the hell are you?" She whispered.

"I am Shiva the god of death..."

--


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

_October 23__rd__, 1997_

Samantha's tail brushed Ryoko's face. She started awake to find the cat sniffing her nose curiously. She brushed the cat away and her eyes darted around the apartment, the sky had darkened while she was out. The girl licked her dry lips and brought a hand up to rub the side of her face; she blinked and put her other hand down to push herself into a sitting position. It slipped in a pool of blood. She moved the hand still on her forehead gingerly to the gash from the hunter's gun.

"Damn it all…" The Blade Child whispered to no one in particular. "Tonight…" She swallowed hard; her throat was dry and raw. "God damn it…" Her head fell into her hands, one of which left a smear of blood on her cheek, and started to cry.

_You're not handling this… What you're doing is wrong… Everything you're doing is wrong… You have no idea what you're doing... You've been eating potato chips with way for ten years…_

"Shit…" Ryoko cursed as his voice rolled around in her head. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Their last conversation forced its way in her consciousness. It played out behind her eyelids like a scratched up old movie.

--

_March 3__rd__, 1995_

"_What's Kanone got to do with it?"_

"_Everything… I'm starting to believe Kanone was right…"_

"…_Everything that you're doing is wrong…"_

_--_

_October 23__rd__, 1997_

A knock came at her front door; he slowly knocked three times, always only three. The tears still running down her cheeks, the broken girl snatched up the gun still sitting obediently beside her. Her eyes darted up to the door not a hundred feet from where she was sitting. She swallowed hard and tried not to make a sound, no one need know she was there even if their intentions weren't as malicious as she assumed. Samantha darted into the bedroom and slid under the bed.

_Everything that you're doing is wrong…_

"Not today… Of all fucki-… Days…" Ryoko whispered to herself as his voice took over her thoughts again. It had to be today, she knew it. She knew today would be the day he died.

Kousuke; her best friend, he turned twenty today.

--

_October 23__rd__, 1997_

The knocks sounded at her door again; only three. Ryoko, tears still running down her cheeks, stood up with the gun pointed at the door her hands shaking so badly she could barely hold it. She swore she was going to kill the man on the other side of that damn door. What did it matter, the only thing keeping her sane; he was gone now. She knew that. As the Blade Child stepped into the living room she saw in horror the deadbolt turning, then the lock clicked back and the door handle slowly turned.

Ryoko held her breath as the door opened.

--


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_October 23__rd__, 1997_

He stepped into the darkened room and closed the door behind him leaning over into the light to clean off his glasses. He wiped their yellow tinted lenses with his shirt as his eyes darted to hers. Ryoko couldn't speak, let alone breathe.

"I-I don't… Understand…" Ryoko breathed before she could stop the words coming out of her mouth. She still held the gun up; held it pointed right at his heart. She was scared, terrified, of her own best friend. Her breath came in shallow gasps and her hands shook, she took an involuntary step back as he came toward her.

"Ryoko…" Kousuke whispered perching his glasses back on his nose and staring at her over them. He strode toward her as gingerly as he could manage. The elder Blade Child reached her and stopped so close the barrel of her gun brushed his chest. She was in a horrible state; she looked like she hadn't slept in weeks, she was shaking like an earthquake, tears streamed uncontrolled down her face, there was a gash on the side of her head with a trail of blood down the side of her head and her shoulder. Not in all his years knowing her had he ever seen her as torn apart.

"N-No…" The word came out choppy and almost unrecognizable, "No…" She stepped back as he came closer.

"R-Ryoko…" Kousuke reached out and caressed her face as he whispered, "You're safe now." Ryoko's strength left her and the gun fell from her hands and clattered to the floor; her knees threatened to give way. One last tear streaked down her face and fell into her friend's outstretched hand. He pulled the girl into his arms and stroked her hair.

"The only thing that matters is the ending…" He whispered into her ear.

--

Fin

**Oh, by the way. Please keep reading for the alternate ending! I promise it won't disappoint.**


	5. Alternate Ending

**Alternate Ending  
**

_October 23__rd__, 1997_

He stepped into the darkened room and closed the door behind him leaning over into the light to clean off his glasses. He wiped their yellow tinted lenses with his shirt as his eyes darted to hers. Ryoko couldn't speak, let alone breathe.

"Kousuke… I-I don't… Understand…" Ryoko breathed before she could stop the words coming out of her mouth. She still held the gun up; held it pointed right at his heart. She was scared, terrified, of her own best friend. Her breath came in shallow gasps and her hands shook, she took an involuntary step back as he came toward her.

Her best friend grinned, "You got yourself a wrong number misses, ain't no Kousuke here. He's dead. He did a whole lot of squirming around but in the end he couldn't lie to himself anymore. Let alone to me." He stopped only two feet away, close enough for the gun to brush his chest. "And I never put a hand on him misses, I swear. He took the coward's way out." He whispered.

"N-No…" Her words came out choppy and almost unrecognizable, "No…" Ryoko shrunk back as he came closer. She took a last step back and found herself against the kitchen wall, her foot slipped in the pool of blood still on the floor. Kousuke cocked his head to the side as the voices brought themselves to the front of his consciousness.

--

_October 22__nd__, 1997_

_You're not handling this... What you're doing is wrong... Everything you're doing is wrong… You have no idea what you're doing... You've been eating potato chips with way for ten years... For ten years... Sister found out what the problem was, and the school had to be withdrawn from the competition... She knew about the broken windows... The competition... And they didn't talk for the rest of the night… The rest of the night..._

"Damn it!" Kousuke shot up and opened his eyes, he couldn't shut himself up. Or was it really him? The Blade Child rolled around on the couch trying desperately to get to sleep for it was almost 11:00 at night. He gave up and bounced off the couch; he headed for the kitchen.

_Todd Downey thought that a woman who would steal your love… What does Todd Downey got to do with it? Everything… I'm starting to believe Todd Downey was right… _

He reached for the bottle of Jack Daniels on the counter and squeezed his eyes shut.

_Everything that you're doing is wrong…_

"Leave me alone!" He screamed and threw the bottle against the wall. It shattered and alcohol splattered onto the floor.

_You are alone…_

--

_October 23__rd__, 1997_

He pulled the gun from her hands. Ryoko stopped breathing. "Kousuke, why are you talking this way?"

"It's just the way I talk." He crooned at her.

"You… You're scaring me." She whispered.

The elder Blade Child grinned and threw the gun to the floor behind them. "It don't matter, you won't be scared no more…" Ryoko screamed and threw open the door. The handle hit him in the chest and he reeled backward as she dashed down the few steps leading to the pavement below. Kousuke lunged for her and grabbed her ankle; she toppled over falling onto the pavement. Her head crashed into the ground.

"I am so sorry misses, but right is right and fair is fair and something has got to be done." Kousuke half whispered to her as he walked around beside her. She rolled onto her side and held her head as blood streamed from the wound. "You know, the only thing that matters is the ending. It's the most important part of the story; the ending. And this one is very good." He picked up a shovel laying against the wall. "This one's perfect." The Blade Child, his curse fully awakened, leaned over on the handle looking down at her. He raised the blade and she screamed.

--

"_I know I can do it." Todd Downey said, helping himself to another ear of corn from the steaming bowl. "I know that in time her death will be a mystery… "_

_Even to me…_

--

Fin


End file.
